Are trackers worth the money/subs

[themanwithnoname]

As simple as the title really.

Are trackers, e.g. Trafficmaster et al worth the money and the subscription costs?

For a decent one, as far as I can see, is about £450 in year one, then £150-400 per year for subs depending on the level of coverage.

There is no requirement from my insurer to have one, and the discount for having one doesn't even scratch the surface of the cost of installing one, and my excess is less than the Y1 costs.

All of this and parking in a shipping container for a week or two seems to be the favoured thing for them wot do stealing and stuff, rendering gps, gsm and vhf pretty much pointless.

So. Over to you, men and women of the internet... Is a tracker worth the time money and effort, or am I reasonably correct in my opinion that they are a worthless box of electronics that only really pay for themselves if they alert X to Y within the first 5 minutes of a car being stolen...and there happens to be a crew of goateed company directors armed with redbull or at least a quartet of coppers around the next corner?

ETA: This has come about as I've been reading the stolen Cossie thread and it got me thinking.

[SEE YA]

Yes £80 a year not that much. Plus some insurance company's say you must have one for certain cars?

[markmullen]

It depends on what you're installing it on in my opinion.

If it is a car which is very difficult to replace, either through rarity, or the work you've put into it, then a Tracker makes sense.

If it is something which can be easily replaced the only people to benefit are Tracker and your insurers. If it gets stolen it will have some dirty little oik and his manky chav mates sat in it, it'll be ragged from cold, up kerbs, generally abused. Would you want it back? I wouldn't, I'd rather take my bag of money from the insurers and pop down to the dealership and get a fresh one.

[kambites]

Only if they reduce your insurance by more than the subs, to my mind, unless the car is actually irreplaceable.

[Dave Hedgehog]

i used to have them when it was a one off fee and lifetime usage

i would not want a GPS / sub one

1) I don't want them keeping a record of me doing 160 down the A2, or even the potential of a record being taken.
2) GPS is easy to block with a £20 ebay dongle
3) If they damage my car i do not want it back anyway

[themanwithnoname]

markmullen said:

It depends on what you're installing it on in my opinion.

If it is a car which is very difficult to replace, either through rarity, or the work you've put into it, then a Tracker makes sense.

If it is something which can be easily replaced the only people to benefit are Tracker and your insurers. If it gets stolen it will have some dirty little oik and his manky chav mates sat in it, it'll be ragged from cold, up kerbs, generally abused. Would you want it back? I wouldn't, I'd rather take my bag of money from the insurers and pop down to the dealership and get a fresh one.

Thanks Mark. That is really where I am thinking. I'd rather take the cheque if some scrote does decide to make off with my P&J

Dave Hedgehog said:

i used to have them when it was a one off fee and lifetime usage

i would not want a GPS / sub one

1) I don't want them keeping a record of me doing 160 down the A2, or even the potential of a record being taken.
2) GPS is easy to block with a £20 ebay dongle
3) If they damage my car i do not want it back anyway

Thanks Dave great points there as well. I hadn't considered that the 'hoon factor' could be snapshotted and forwarded for consideration.

SEE YA said:

Yes £80 a year not that much. Plus some insurance company's say you must have one for certain cars?

Great screen name for the topic as in the OP its not a requirement, and the subs are significantly higher than the saving, most I've seen start as £150PA for subs.

Thanks for all the replies so far.